TOHJO & SINNOH
General
Tohjo is the collective name for the nations of Kanto and Johto. Due to their geographical closeness, their cultures are similar. The Tohjoan faiths are polytheistic, containing many gods, but the ones worshipped depend on the specific faith. Tohjoan families typically have a patron god watching over their family, but other gods may be prayed to for blessings in different parts of life.
The religious makeup of the Tohjo area is 70% Tohjoan faiths, 15% Arcean and 15% other religions or no religion. The religious makeup of the nation of Sinnoh is 50% Tohjoan faiths, 30% Arcean and 20% other religions or no religion. It should be noted that these numbers reflect cultural religiousness rather than active practice. Active practice of the Tohjoan faiths is much less common, only 10% of the Tohjo population reporting that they practice their faith actively.
One sign of the influence of the Tohjoan faiths is that the year 0 is set to the burning of the Bell Tower. This is, strangely, also the year of the Revelation - an event in which Arceus was alleged to appear on Mt Coronet in Sinnoh and commune with a young trainer named Akari, giving her the mission of bringing back the Celestican faith. Much religious speculation has taken place whether the two events are somehow connected, but to the less religious they remain a coincidence. Years in Tohjo are either marked as BB, Before Burning, or AB, After Burning. The current year is 149. There are talks of great festivals to be held on the next New Year’s Eve.
Some hundreds of years ago, Sinnoh - then known as Hisui - was populated by a native people known as the Celesticans. Then, pilgrims came from the Sinjoh area, claiming to have been called by a god named Sinnoh, which is what the Celesticans called Arceus. Historical records from this time are scarce, but it seems that the Celesticans did not take kindly to the new arrivals as the two groups they arrived in were prone to infighting over their views on Sinnoh - views that the Celesticans did not agree with, either. Regardless, the new arrivals called themselves Celestican, though they were later known as Sinnohan by Neo-Celesticans to set them apart from the “true” Celesticans. This text will refer to them as Sinnohan as well for the sake of clarity.
Soon after their arrival, the Sinnohans divided into two clans, the Diamond Clan and the Pearl Clan, due to differences in worship. These clans gradually displaced the Celesticans through the next few hundred years, occasionally with violence. By 0 AB, there were only two surviving Celesticans, one of which reportedly died by suicide after the Revelation occurred.
In the Revelation, it is said that Akari was told by Sinnoh that the Sinnohans’ faiths were false and mistaken, based instead on the Tohjoan dragons of space and time, and that the Celestican faith - the true faith - should be restored. He also allegedly told her to refer to him as Arceus from now on to set him apart from the Sinnoh the Sinnohans believed in.
Akari then began efforts to restore the Celestican faith from archeological artefacts and documents. This effort was backed by the Galaxy Expedition Team and the settlers that came with it. This faith, simply called Celesticanism at the time, is nowadays known as Neo-Celesticanism. Akari and her followers spread the word of Arceus, converting Sinnohans to Neo-Celesticanism through varying degrees of force.
With time, more Tohjoans started hearing about Hisui and began immigrating to Hisui in hordes. These Tohjoans aligned themselves with the Neo-Celesticans as they were much more hospitable than the Sinnohans and helped spread the faith as they also recognized Arceus as the creator of the world. This alliance would not last, however, as Neo-Celesticans began pushing back against the Tohjoan faiths brought along by the Tohjoans, disagreeing with their worship of other gods. There was also a Hisuian nationalistic movement around 60-90 AB due to Neo-Celesticans feeling the threat of being overtaken by Tohjoans. This movement led to a spike in archeological research as the Neo-Celesticans sought more “evidence” for their faith, and the uncovered artefacts gave the faith more refined rules. Even still, Tohjoans stayed numerous, leading to today when Tohjoan faiths still make up 50% of the population in Sinnoh - a name given to the land by Tohjoan immigrants. Nowadays, Neo-Celesticanism is known as Arceism, named after the god.
According to anthropologists, the Celestican people were originally descended from people from the Tohjo area given their faiths share a similar creation myth and death deity. The Tohjoan creation story only mentions “the Original One” instead of Sinnoh, but this is thought to be an epithet for the real name, which may as well have been Sinnoh. Nowadays, the deity is called Arceus even in the Tohjoan faiths due to influence from the Arceans.
Nowadays, the Sinnohans are extinct. Their faiths are no longer practiced outside individual enthusiasts.
Ho-Oh
Ho-Oh, a large bird pokémon with a multicolored plumage, is a central figure in most Tohjoan faiths. She is considered a goddess of the sky, the sun, life, rebirth, rainbows, bravery and pureheartedness. She is said to be able to see into the hearts of people and turn away from those she sees wickedness in. Before her departure from Ecruteak, each new emperor would always be brought before Ho-Oh to be judged for his character. If Ho-Oh would turn away, this emperor would be executed and another emperor would be sought from the lineage until a purehearted man was found.
It is said that with each emperor, Ho-Oh would burn herself and be reborn from the ashes. Skeptics say that this is due to her life cycle simply coinciding with the switch of emperors.
Like her mate Lugia, Ho-Oh used to live in Ecruteak, using the Bell Tower as her perch. This changed when lightning struck the Brass Tower and burned it down in 0 AB. Ho-Oh then restored the lives of three pokémon, giving them the forms of a suicune, a raikou and an entei, before flying off into hiding. Nowadays, Ho-Oh is said to live high up in the sky, watching the world and the other gods from there. She is said to monitor the balance between the winter and fire gods and thus the seasons. To see Ho-Oh in flight is to be granted eternal happiness.
At 50% of Tohjoan faith practicers, Ho-Oh is the most popular patron god.
Lugia
Lugia, a large white draconic pokémon, is another important god in most Tohjoan faiths. He is considered a god of the sea, the tides and fishing. Like Ho-Oh, he used to live in Ecruteak before his perch, the Brass Tower, burned down and he flew away into hiding. He is said to live deep underwater among the Whirl Islands.
The relationship between Ho-Oh and Lugia has many stories about them. In one, Ho-Oh created the moon as a gift to Lugia. It is still said that the tides are caused by Lugia emerging from the deep to come see the moon.
As Lugia is said not to like humans (unlike Ho-Oh), it is not a very popular patron god. He is usually only the patron god of fishermen and their families as he is said to command schools of fish. Fishermen pray for Lugia to command fish into their nets.
The Winter, Fire and Thunder Gods
These three gods are said to be humanoid and the rulers of certain powerful pokémon. They are what cause the seasons and the weather, from the rain to heat waves and cold spells and different winds.
The winter god is associated with articuno and suicune. He is said to live in the north from which he casts the chilling north wind. Every year, he travels south, bringing winter with him, until he is fought off by the fire god in spring. He is also associated with purity since snow is white and foods are kept fresh longer when chilled. It is said that suicune borrow his power to purify water.
The fire god is associated with moltres and entei. He is said to live in the south, in the Cinnabar Volcano, and cast the warm south wind. In summer, he brings heatwaves and wildfires until he is chased back by the winter god in the autumn. He is also associated with metalworking as fire is a necessary component of it. It is believed that the fire imbues the weapon with the fire god’s blessing, which makes it sharp and effective in battle. This makes the fire god a minor god of war.
The thunder god is associated with zapdos and raikou. He is said to wander around Tohjo, bringing the east and west winds as he moves. He brings rain, storms and thunder all year round and makes sure the fire god’s wildfires don’t get too destructive in the summers. He is associated with harvest due to the rain he brings, and thunder is said to be good for the crops.
Celebi
Celebi is the patron god of the Ilex area, more specifically the Ilex Forest. She is thought of as the protector of forests and their animals. She is said to live deep in the woods and see the past and the future. She is prayed to for good health and vitality.
Those who worship Celebi as their patron god are known as Celebists. These people tend to have strong negative opinions on ghosts, which are viewed as a blight on the world due to them draining life energy from plants, animals and humans. For this reasons, there are numerous Celebian exorcisms, mostly fatal, meaning the ghost is not simply cast out but destroyed.
Mew
Mew are said to have been the first race of pokémon. According to the creation story, they multiplied and adapted to different environments, becoming all the pokémon and humans in the world. Some say there are still some left, hiding in the depths of jungles. There is an urban legend that the Rocket Group secretly obtained one and created a genetically engineered human hybrid called “Mewtwo” using the mew’s DNA.
Arceus
Arceus, known originally as the Original One in Tohjoan faiths and as Sinnoh by the Celesticans, is understood to be the creator of the world. It is said that a single egg existed within the void until it hatched and produced Arceus. Arceus then created the world and started time. He created Dialga, Palkia and Giratina to watch over time, space and the otherworld, but Giratina attempted to attack Arceus, leading him to banish her to the otherworld. Arceus then created the first mew, which procreated and filled the world, speciating into different pokémon and humans, both intelligent and blessed with great elemental powers. Arceus then created Uxie, Mesprit and Azelf, which granted wisdom, emotion and willpower respectively to man and mon.
In the next myth, it is said that humans realized they were nude and covered themselves. When they told pokémon to do the same, the pokémon grew enraged and began killing the humans. As punishment for their violence, Arceus took away the intellect of pokémon. This led to humans gaining the upper hand on pokémon, beginning to oppress them. When Arceus saw this, he took away the elemental powers of humans, and balance returned between man and mon.
Given this myth, some Arceists believe that pokémon should not be raised sapient for it is against Arceus’ will. Others believe that Arceus allowed pokémon to retain the potential for sapience on purpose. Some say that there are more sapient pokémon now because humans have yet again begun to oppress pokémon, and that having pokémon who can speak and act against their brothers’ mistreatment is how humans will be kept in check. Of course, there are some pokémon that are always sapient, such as the alakazam, gardevoir and lucario lines, but these pokémon were historically thought to still be less intelligent than humans unless they experienced enough human contact and learned the human language. There are also pokémon that do naturally wear clothes in their own communities, such as the machoke and jynx lines, but these were historically thought to originally have been humans who somehow fell from grace and became monsters.
After the creation of the world and the separation of man and mon, Arceus is thought to have fallen into a deep slumber in Tohjoan faiths, which is why he is no one’s patron god. In Arceism, however, Arceus is an active deity. He is thought to be omniscient but not omnipotent. He can hear all prayers and listens to them, but he could not fulfil all wishes even if it was his will, as he is busy watching the world, judging the recently dead and keeping Giratina imprisoned. He is still said to give personal strength to those that pray to him even if the situation won’t otherwise change.
Arceans believe that Arceus can see everyone’s actions and judges them once they die, deciding whether to let them into paradise or the otherworld. What makes a person “good” and worthy of paradise is their adherence to the rules that Arceus has set, most of which are rather simple: do not kill, do not steal, do not tell falsehoods of other people, do not lie with one who is not your spouse, so on. Good deeds are also beneficial to one’s reputation in Arceus’ eyes. A person who has done evil may ask Arceus for forgiveness, which shall be granted if the person truly regrets in their heart.
Spreading the Arcean faith is important to the religion. Some Arceans believe that only Arceans can get into paradise, which motivates them to convert others. Some believe that a person is still asked before judgment whether they accept Arceus as their lord, and they may change their mind then, but that they may choose incorrectly if not told about Arceus. Some believe that it is enough to be a good person or earnestly ask for forgiveness for misdeeds, and that spreading the faith is done to help others live better lives.
Opinions on ghosts are varied among the Arcean faith. Some believe that ghosts are the minions of Giratina and thus shun them. Others believe that ghosts are spirits that have escaped from the otherworld. Others believe that ghosts have been chosen by Arceus to have another chance at life, to be able to reconcile something unresolved, and thus should be respected. Some Arceans exorcisms have been unearthed, and all of them so far have been non-fatal.
Arceans believe that there will come a day when Giratina will come loose and lay waste to this world, leading Arceus to take the good people with him to paradise and to leave the bad people on Earth to suffer. When this day is to take place is not for mortals to know, and attempting to figure it out is frowned upon.
Dialga and Palkia
In Arcean myth and Tohjoan faiths, Dialga and Palkia are the guardians of time and space. To Sinnohans, their traits were associated with their version of Sinnoh, leading anthropologists to match the two clans’ Sinnohs to the dragons.
The Sinnohans, much like the Celesticans, believed that Sinnoh was the only god and watched over humans and pokémon and their lives. The Diamond Clan believed that Sinnoh’s power lay in time, while the Pearl Clan believed that Sinnoh’s power lay in space, leading to different ideas on what Sinnoh wanted and how it should be worshipped.
Death God / Giratina
The death god is a figure in Tohjoan faiths that takes the spirit of the deceased and ferries them to the afterlife, which is a land of darkness where ghosts and spirits of the deceased roam. This death god, according to anthropologists, shares an origin with Giratina of the Arcean faith, even if its gender and reputation is different.
Giratina is a figure in Arceism who was imprisoned in the otherworld, correlated often with hell, for her violent behavior, which also earned her the moniker of the Violent One. According to Arceism, the otherworld is a cold, sunless place where space and time lose their meaning and gravity changes directions on a whim. Spirits of the damned roam this place, but can never seem to find each other, loneliness as part of their punishment.
The Lake Guardians
As mentioned before, these three beings are part of the creation story of the Arcean and Tohjoan faiths. After their creation, they found caves in the three great lakes of Sinnoh and went there to slumber.
A somewhat popular Arcean theological theory posits that the three lake guardians represent the three things a being needs to be considered morally culpable: intelligence to know other beings can suffer, emotion to know what suffering is like and willpower to decide not to harm someone despite the benefit it would bring oneself.
It should be noted that tribes of alakazam, gardevoir and lucario each revere a different lake guardian - alakazam revere Uxie as a being of wisdom and knowledge, gardevoir revere Mesprit as a being of emotional balance and lucario revere Azelf as a being of willpower. They do not, however, have entirely similar beliefs of them as humans.
Shaymin
The shaymin is a rare mon. It is not legendary, but it is a symbolically important for Arceans. According to a story, before humans and pokémon were separated, they suffered from the evils of the world and cursed Arceus for allowing it to happen. Only one pokémon knew instead to be grateful for what Arceus has created, and that was the shaymin. Arceus rewarded the shaymin by allowing her to transform into a flying form, letting her flee anyone who wished to do her evil. The shaymin remains a symbol of gratitude and perseverance through evil to this day. It is also popular with children.
Cresselia, Darkrai, Heatran
Cresselia and Darkrai are two entities known in the Sinnoh region. There are beliefs surrounding both, but no worship as both the Sinnohans of the past and the Arceans of today worship only their main god. Cresselia is said to appear on nights with a crescent moon and bring good dreams. Darkrai is said to appear on nights with a new moon and bring nightmares.
Heatran are also beings with beliefs surrounding them, but no worship. They are said to be beings of the earth that guard sacred places. These places are said to contain deposits of a red crystalline mineral known as “origin ore”, which is claimed to have pieces of Sinnoh’s or Arceus’ divine power. The ore has been largely left alone due to the formidable power of heatran, but greedy travellers have been documented as trying to steal some.
Regigigas
Regigigas appears in the creation myth of Tohjoan faiths as a titan that towed continents into place with ropes. In the Arcean version, it was Arceus that ordered Regigigas to do so. Both versions describe Regigigas as having constructed three golems in his image - one of ice, one of rock and one of steel - and being worshipped by ancient people who eventually grew afraid of all four being’s powers and sealing them away, Regigigas in Snowpoint Temple and the golems in the far-off region of Hoenn. The Arcean version credits Arceus as the driving force behind this attitude change as he was angered by Regigigas creating new life and being worshipped.
Manaphy and Phione
Manaphy and phione are two rare species of pokémon. They are not worshipped as gods, but they are considered sacred. It is said that manaphy are the royalty of the sea who live deep down on the cold seafloor, ruling over packs of phione who tend to the manaphy. Manaphy are also claimed to be able to switch the souls of people, either to cause confusion and flee or to cause mischief.
